Currrent as of February 4, 2022
Senate Bill No. 606
CHAPTER 348
An act to amend Section 11414 of the Penal Code, relating to harassment.
[ Approved by Governor September 24, 2013. Filed with Secretary of State September 24, 2013. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
SB 606, De León. Harassment: child or ward.
Under existing law, any person who intentionally harasses the child or ward of any other person because of that person’s employment is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding 6 months, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both. Under existing law, that crime is punishable by mandatory imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 5 days for a 2nd conviction, and by mandatory imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days for a 3rd or subsequent conviction.
This bill would make a violation of the above provisions punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding $10,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment for a first conviction. For a 2nd conviction, the bill would require a fine not exceeding $20,000 and imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not less than 5 days but not exceeding one year. For a 3rd or subsequent conviction, the bill would require a fine not exceeding $30,000 and imprisonment in a county jail for a period of not less than 30 days but not exceeding one year. The bill would specify that harassment means knowing and willful conduct directed at a specific child or ward that seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or terrorizes the child or ward, and that serves no legitimate purpose, including, but not limited to, that conduct occurring during the course of any actual or attempted recording of the child’s or ward’s image or voice without the written consent of the child’s or ward’s parent or legal guardian, by following the child’s or ward’s activities or by lying in wait. The bill would specify that, upon a violation of the above provisions, a parent or legal guardian of an aggrieved child or ward may bring a civil action against the violator on behalf of the child or ward for specified remedies. The bill would additionally provide that the act of transmitting, publishing, or broadcasting a recording of the image or voice of a child does not constitute commission of the offense.
By increasing the punishment for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 11414 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
11414. (a) Any person who intentionally harasses the child or ward of any other person because of that person’s employment shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Child” and “ward” mean a person under 16 years of age.
(2) “Harasses” means knowing and willful conduct directed at a specific child or ward that seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or terrorizes the child or ward, and that serves no legitimate purpose, including, but not limited to, that conduct occurring during the course of any actual or attempted recording of the child’s or ward’s image or voice, or both, without the express consent of the parent or legal guardian of the child or ward, by following the child’s or ward’s activities or by lying in wait. The conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable child to suffer substantial emotional distress, and actually cause the victim to suffer substantial emotional distress.
(3) “Employment” means the job, vocation, occupation, or profession of the parent or legal guardian of the child or ward.
(c) A second conviction under this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than five days but not exceeding one year. A third or subsequent conviction under this section shall be punished by a fine not exceeding thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) and by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days but not exceeding one year.
(d) Upon a violation of this section, the parent or legal guardian of an aggrieved child or ward may bring a civil action against the violator on behalf of the child or ward. The remedies in that civil action shall be limited to one or more of the following: actual damages, punitive damages, reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, disgorgement of any compensation from the sale, license, or dissemination of a child’s image or voice received by the individual who, in violation of this section, recorded the child’s image or voice, and injunctive relief against further violations of this section by the individual.
(e) The act of transmitting, publishing, or broadcasting a recording of the image or voice of a child does not constitute a violation of this section.
(f) This section does not preclude prosecution under any section of law that provides for greater punishment.
SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
California Senate Bill 606